The Stork's Nest and other Historical Buildings

Another of our Tucson tours through geocaching took us to some of the historical buildings still standing. This one, The Stork's Nest is by far my favorite because of its history.

originally built in 1883

remodeled to its current condition in 1984

Helen Jacobs' personal tragedy prompted her to buy a home in Tucson in 1922 and convert it into the Stork's Nest maternity ward. Asked if she had ever lost a mother, she answered, "Only one," her daughter, who had died in childbirth in Bisbee. ... Stork's Nest. A maternity home for Tucson women from the 1920s to the 1940s, it was operated by Helen Jacobs and staffed by nurses night and day. Now an office building, it's one of the few places where you can enter to view historical photos about its past. ~ Arizona Health Sciences Library

The next two historical buildings were originally part of the El Presidio Historic District, a residential neighborhood containing adobe and brick buildings in the Spanish-Mexican, Anglo-American and Eclectic architectural styles. Named for the Spanish-built Presidio de San Augustín del Tucson (1775), El Presidio is one of the nation's oldest inhabited sites. The district is on the site of a prehistoric Hohokam Indian site (c. 700-900 A.D.) and the original presidio (fort). The El Presidio Historic District reflects Tucson's development from an 18th-century walled compound to its emergence as a major 20th-century mercantile center.

Hiram Stevens was mentioned in the previous blog post for bringing the first windmill to Tucson to pump water from the wells. This was his residence which featured an aviary, orchard, carriage house, and stables. The home is now the cafe of the Tucson Museum of Art.  

Hiram Stevens

The plaque in the sidewalk on the street corner said we were standing at the main gate of the presidio. The Hiram Steven family and the Edward Nye Fish family are two of the three families in the photo.

residence of Edward Nye Fish

today it is gift shop of the Tucson Museum of Art

Edward Nye Fish 

mural in a parking lot across the street

time has taken a toll on this old home in the presidio district

Teatro Carmen

Opening night was May 20, 1915

a theater devoted to dramatic works in Spanish

more interesting information about Carmen Soto and the theater

the side of the building showing the arched windows

After 1922 the theater became a cinema, ballroom, meeting hall, boxing area, garage and an Elks Lodge. The Teatro Carmen building survived the destruction of the majority of the buildings in the Barrio Viejo during Urban Renewal of the 1950s and 1960s and still stands today. ~ Arizona Memory Project

Ferrin House

This adobe home was built in the 1860s by Joseph Ferrin, a tailor. Their daughter was instrumental in bringing the first synagogue to Arizona.  This building was for a time owned by Diane Keaton, the actress. It is now The Coronet Restaurant and Bar.

another mural

One Stop~Three Historical Landmarks

 While geocaching in old town Tucson last week, we stopped to explore a historical landmark and found the location had three significant incidents to the history of Tucson.

This little building was the divider for two historical landmarks. The one on the south side of the building had to do with water and the one on the north side a shrine.

no water today from this beautiful tiled fountain

EL OJITO SPRING OR LITTLE EYE SPRING

• -At one time, the source of water for Tucson residents was El Ojito Spring; it is no longer there. The spring slipped beneath the earth, diverted by an earthquake in 1887 and eventually drained by the ever-increasing population of Tucson.
• -For many years, the spring gave a year-round supply of water. It supplied the soldiers in the presidio with water before wells were dug within the fort.
• -Guards were posted to protect the people from the Apaches when they were gathering water and washing clothes at both the El Ojito Springs and the Santa Cruz River.
• -An Irishman, Martin Toughey, made a business of delivering water in canvas bags, that he tied to his burros, to the residents of Tucson for a penny a gallon; later two other enterprising fellows used a two-wheeled cart for delivery and sold the water for 5 cents a bucket.
• -In the late 1800s, “Simpson Baths” took the water from the spring, heated it and provided a bathing opportunity for the men of Tucson. All social levels of men, rich and poor, frequented the baths, conducting business while soaking in the metal tubs. Women were not allowed to bathe there; they had to haul water to their homes and heat it themselves.
• -The public bathhouses (with zinc or tin tubs) cost 25 cents for a weekly bath; water was considered far too important to use for bathing more than once a week.
• -In 1873, Hiram Stevens erected the first windmill to pump water from the wells. Windmills were soon erected throughout the town. (More about Hiram Stevens later.)
• -In the 1880s, W.C. Davis installed Tucson’s first personal bathtub in a Congress Street home.
• ~ Arizona Historical Society

And then on the other side of the building...

a wishing shrine along the walls of an old building

El Tiradito

the only Catholic shrine in the United States 

dedicated to a sinner buried in unconsecrated ground

It's the story of a love triangle involving murder and suicide. Juan, an 18 year old son-in-law of a Mexican sheep rancher, fell in love with his mother-in-law. If you are intrigued, Wikipedia tells the story of how this shrine to a sinner came to be. El Tiradito  (The Little Throwaway or The Castaway)

And the third historical landmark was also in the same corner of the street, Tucson's first free public park. An 8 acre park developed by Leopoldo Carrillo in 1885. The park contained an assortment of fruit trees, man-made ponds and lakes hosting bathhouses and boat rides.

3 Tucson ladies enjoying the garden in 1887

look at the clothing!

The gardens no longer exist. The springs which supplied water to the gardens dried as the water table decreased due to usage. Today Carrillo Intermediate Academy is on the land that used to host the gardens built by Leopoldo Carrillo. Another person with an interesting history, although not quite as colorful as that of Juan, the sheep-herder.

To be honest, I believe the springs were original to this corner lot because of the fountain. The shrine is located nearby, but I don't believe Juan is buried in that location; it is where people lit candles for his soul. The original gardens were to the west of the first building on this post and the academy is across the street. Quite an interesting history to the little street corner.

There was no information regarding the mural, but it too, was at the street corner.

***Remember, you can click on any photo to enlarge it.***

The Southern Pacific

Hubby and I went to the downtown area of Old Tucson on our camping and caching adventure last week. One of our stops was at the train station. When we stopped in the morning, Hubby did not want me to talk to the railroad clerk when we realized we could not reach the backside of the train station due to Covid-19 restrictions. When I went inside there were areas roped off clearly indicating no trespassing. 

So we went on our way looking for other historical landmarks, but I really wanted to go back to the train station. The second time I went inside, I told the clerk we were geocachers and really needed to get to the backside of the train station. She asked how many were "we?" I told her just my husband and myself. She told me we could go on through the door of the waiting room, but "she saw nothing and no-one." We thanked her and went about finding the needed info for the two geocaches. (I was willing to ask because another geocacher shared how a kind Amtrak clerk allowed her and her husband access to the geocaching information at the back of the station.)

The SPRR building is very large and was built in 1907. "The original station, built in 1880, was a large wooden structure with offices, freight and passenger accommodations."

Today the SPRR is home to a number of businesses as well as housing the Amtrak ticket office and station. 

I did not take the time to read the info in the waiting room. I felt guilty taking the photos I did take! The waiting benches look old and nearly original to the time of the early passenger trains. I could envision men, women and families wearing their best dress clothing, waiting for the next train for a trip to wherever.

This must have been the control center for the passenger and freight trains coming and going from the Tucson station. 

This is the northern 'half' of the back side of the train depot. 

This is looking at the southern 'half' of the backside of the station. Passengers must have used this main back door when arriving and departing. I love how the old barrels marked where we could and could not wander. 

Several luggage wagons added to the historical feeling of the train station. Of course, the area was very quiet. I think an Amtrak train was to arrive sometime the day we were there. Other than two people asking for information, no one was sitting in the waiting room when we walked through, "unseen" by the Amtrak official.

This statue was one of the reasons we needed to get to the backside. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday are just hangin' around, looking for trouble or for those who cause it.

The Tucson SPRR is the location where Wyatt Earp shot Frank Stillwell March 20, 1882.

a Southern Pacific train engine on display

behind a fenced area 

the impact of the railroad

***Remember, you can click on any photo to get a larger version***

Where Was I on January 6th?

One of the writing prompts I use in the writing your life story classes I mentor is the question : Where were you the day John F. Kennedy was shot? What do you remember? What were you wearing? Eating? Who were you with? The idea for the prompt is to explain how a tragic event often leaves more of an impact in our memory bank, although sometimes that memory is buried farther back in our memory filing cabinets. For example, I vividly recall what I wore to school that day and what was served for school lunch. 

Another example would be the day the Space Ship Challenger exploded and the teacher on board, Christa McAuliffe, died along with the other six crew members.

Or 9/11. I distinctly remember the student who charged into the classroom that morning sharing the news I was not aware was happening to our country. We turned on the TV and watched the news because no lesson plan learning was going to take place that morning. 

I do not remember my feelings beyond disbelief on any of those occasions other than the Challenger explosion. I was driving between schools and upon hearing the news on the radio, pulled over to the side of the road and cried.

So where was I on January 6th when the Capitol building was under attack by American citizens? 

in the desert west of Tucson

geocaching in the desert

blissfully unaware of what was happening

(cooler on the front bumper)

not that we did not have cell service, we did

but when we geocache in areas like this

my focus is on the roads

and the surroundings

There are places not safe to drive the jeep, especially in this area. All my focus is on the road, whether I am driving or Hubby is driving, and on finding the geocaches. For now, there is very little concern of seeing rattlesnakes as they are in brumation.

Reptiles generally begin brumation in late autumn (more specific times depend on the species). They often wake up to drink water and return to "sleep". They can go for months without food. Reptiles may eat more than usual before the brumation time but eat less or refuse food as the temperature drops. However, they do need to drink water. The brumation period is anywhere from one to eight months depending on the air temperature and the size, age, and health of the reptile. During the first year of life, many small reptiles do not fully brumate, but rather slow down and eat less often. Brumation is triggered by a lack of heat and a decrease in the hours of daylight in winter, similar to hibernation. ~ Wikipedia

Only horses would be traveling safely in the above area where we stopped for a lunch break. We enjoyed the quiet and solitude of this little arroyo. No water running through the gullies as this part of Arizona is in a drought. Usually there would be green grass amongst the trees in an area like this. Green grass for the cattle we did not see, but were there at some point.

Rock On geo-art

On January 6th we were driving in the desert looking for 100+ containers hanging in prickly bushes or hiding under little rock piles. And not until we got back to the camper and checked emails did we realize what was happening in Washington DC. And then we became news junkies like many other Americans and I imagine others around the world, watching in disbelief at the scenes of what had happened throughout the day.

Feelings? Anger. I have been to Washington DC several times and have been in the Capitol building. I felt defiled as I watched the news. My stomach was in knots. I think I will remember my feelings on this day in history. Disbelief, but mostly anger.

We were also in the desert on Tuesday. We found the 60+ geocaches that made the turtle and completed the dip art we started when we were in the area in December.

Turtle Dash

DIP Art

Another day of finding 100 or so geocaches in the desert where it is easy to social distance and avoid COVID situations, and be blissfully unaware of the turmoil...at least for a few hours.

Desert Garden

 We spent a day geocaching in the Scottsdale area. 

trumpet flowers

grapefruit

Sometimes when geocaching in busy neighborhoods, a cacher has to provide a distraction or use stealth. I take photos to help 'disguise' my search.

It is rare to see saguaro arms growing from the base of the saguaro, like on this one.

another view

We ended our day in the Scottsdale area with a stop at Desert Gardens, enjoying the sculptures.

a bat and trumpet flowers

its tongue looking for the nectar

head of the infamous rattlesnake

rattles on the rattlesnake

hummingbird sculpture

and finally, butterflies flitting around more flowers